

Teaching Middle School ELA
Caitlin Mitchell
Welcome to the Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast, where we help English Language Arts teachers create dynamic, engaging lessons while balancing the everyday responsibilities of teaching middle school.I’m Caitlin Mitchell, a longtime ELA educator and curriculum creator, and I know firsthand how challenging it can be to manage grading, planning, and student needs—while still trying to have a life outside the classroom. That’s why every Tuesday and Thursday, I bring you practical strategies, curriculum inspiration, and innovative teaching ideas to help you feel confident, prepared, and energized.Whether you're looking to revamp your writing instruction, streamline your planning process, or engage even the most reluctant readers and writers, you’ll find actionable support here. You'll also hear real classroom stories, fresh lesson ideas, and occasional interviews with other passionate educators.If you teach reading and writing to middle schoolers and want to stay inspired and up-to-date with best practices in ELA education, you’re in the right place. Tune in every week and let’s transform your teaching—together.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 11, 2024 • 6min
Monday Mindset: A New Way of Overcoming Obstacles
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!Get ready for a transformative Monday Mindset! Today, I'm diving into a fresh perspective on overcoming obstacles and seizing opportunities for growth.Join me as we reflect on how our perception of obstacles drastically impacts our approach to life. Instead of viewing obstacles as barriers, let's explore the idea of seeing them as detours in the right direction, guiding us toward our true purpose.Drawing inspiration from Gabby Bernstein's wisdom, I challenge the notion that obstacles are inherently negative. What if they're actually opportunities for growth? Reflecting on my own journey, I've realized that what initially seemed like obstacles were, in fact, catalysts for profound personal growth and transformation.By shifting our perspective and embracing obstacles as blessings in disguise, we can live with greater peace and ease. It's all about choosing love over fear and trusting that life is happening for us, not to us.Here's to another week of intentional living!

Mar 5, 2024 • 32min
Episode 274: How to Differentiate With Whole Group Instruction
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!On this episode of the Teaching Middle School ELA podcast, our curriculum writer, Pat, joins us to discuss the seemingly impossible task of catering our lessons to every student's unique learning style. Consider this episode your peek behind the curtain into a classroom where differentiation doesn't mean chaos.After listening you'll have a full list of differentiation ideas that work with various learning preferences inside your classroom. You'll be able to save this list and reference it time and time again. The goal is for you to walk away with at least one new, inspiring strategy you can utilize now and a toolkit full of others to add in when you are confident and ready!Tune in as they spend time cultivating this master list of new engaging differentiation ideas that will be easy to implement and guaranteed to support students at all learning levels!Are you enjoying the podcast?Make sure to subscribe to our channel and leave us a review! To leave a review in iTunes, click HERE by scrolling down our show page, selecting a star rating, and tapping “Write a review.” Let us know how this podcast is helping you in your ELA classroom!

Mar 4, 2024 • 6min
Monday Mindset: Stop the Judgement
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!Get ready for a deep dive into self-reflection on today's Monday Mindset! In this episode, I'll be exploring the transformative power of self-compassion and the vital role it plays in our personal growth journey.Join me as I shine a light on the importance of putting an end to self-judgment. From our fitness aspirations to our personal commitments, I'll show you how every setback presents an opportunity for profound self-discovery and growth.It's truly empowering when we approach ourselves with kindness and understanding. I'm here to encourage you to swap out self-criticism for self-love and gratitude, transforming setbacks into invaluable stepping stones toward personal empowerment.Here's to another day of intentional living!

Feb 27, 2024 • 49min
Episode 273: Research Behind Great Teachers
The podcast discusses the impact of great teachers on student growth, the research behind teacher-student success correlation, and ways to avoid burnout while developing teaching methods. They explore collective teacher advocacy, fostering a collaborative culture for student success, promoting positive school culture, and the power of collaborative teaching practices in education.

Feb 26, 2024 • 7min
Monday Mindset: Live Abundantly
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!In today's Monday Mindset episode, I am exploring the concept of living abundantly, regardless of your circumstances. I'm considering the idea of gratitude and the awareness of abundance in our lives. As you listen, consider the importance of being open to receiving and giving, as well as how the practice of letting go can invite more goodness into our lives. Tune in to this quick episode for the mindset shift you may not have known you needed!Here's to another day if living intentionally.CaitlinInterested in joining the EB Teachers' Club with thousands of other middle school ELA teachers from around the globe? Join the waitlist today, and you'll be the first to know when we open enrollment again! https://www.ebteacher.com/ebtc-waitlist

Feb 20, 2024 • 24min
Episode 272: Learning to Admire Annoying Behaviors
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!On this episode of the Teaching Middle School ELA podcast, we're diving into something that might not be talked about very often among educators.Can we actually learn to admire annoying student behaviors?Tune in as your hosts discuss practical strategies for handling challenging student behaviors in the classroom while drawing from their own experiences and research. They explore the concept of recognizing, reframing, and redirecting student behaviors in a positive and empowering way, sharing real-life examples that can help you build better relationships with your students and create a more effective and engaging learning environment. As you listen, you'll learn insightful tips and valuable perspectives that can be applied immediately in your classroom. Plus, stay tuned for a sneak peek into next week's episode on the research behind great teachers and student growth. Get ready for an enlightening and impactful episode!Are you enjoying the podcast?Make sure to subscribe to our channel and leave us a review! To leave a review in iTunes, click HERE by scrolling down our show page, selecting a star rating, and tapping “Write a review.” Let us know how this podcast is helping you in your ELA classroom!

Feb 19, 2024 • 8min
Monday Mindset: Prove Yourself Wrong
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!In today's Monday Mindset episode, I'm sharing a thought centered around the idea of proving yourself wrong. I want to challenge you and your beliefs around your limitations. I'll share a personal experience where I thought I could not accomplish a seemingly impossible task and the liberating feeling of proving myself wrong and overcoming my fears. This concept directly applies to educators and your perspective in the classroom. When we live intentionally and embrace the opportunity to challenge ourselves, amazing things are possible. Join me as I delve into the transformative power of proving yourself wrong!Here's to another day if living intentionally.CaitlinInterested in joining the EB Teachers' Club with thousands of other middle school ELA teachers from around the globe? Join the waitlist today, and you'll be the first to know when we open enrollment again! https://www.ebteacher.com/ebtc-waitlist

Feb 13, 2024 • 34min
Episode 271: "Funds of Feeling" - A Feeling-Based Approach to Literature with Stanford's Sarah Levine and Chris Mah
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!On this episode of the Teaching Middle School ELA podcast, Megan welcomed Sarah Levine and Chris Ma from Stanford University, who discussed an innovative approach to literature by integrating students' emotional responses into the heart of literary analysis.Together they unpacked how emotions play a pivotal role in enhancing students' connections to texts. Chris and Sarah guide us through their "funds of feeling" approach, where students explore literature using a blend of emotional engagement and intellectual rigor.Listen in to learn strategies such as the "up-down; both-why" technique and the use of sentence stems, which help students tie their feelings to textual evidence and academic discourse. This method goes beyond traditional analysis, encouraging a richer, more personal understanding of literature.So, whether you're discussing Shakespeare or contemporary novels, get ready for valuable insights that promise to impact your classroom discussions and deepen students' literary appreciation.Tune in as they break it all down in this episode!Links mentioned: https://publicationsncte.org/content/journals/10.58680/ej202332489Are you enjoying the podcast?Make sure to subscribe to our channel and leave us a review! To leave a review in iTunes, click HERE by scrolling down our show page, selecting a star rating, and tapping “Write a review.” Let us know how this podcast is helping you in your ELA classroom!

Feb 12, 2024 • 9min
Monday Mindset: Bending Time
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!In today's Monday Mindset episode, I am discussing how we can actually redefine our relationship with time and harness its power to work in our favor. By exploring the concept of radical responsibility and embracing the idea that we are the source of time, I'll share practical strategies for making time for the things that truly matter to us. From setting non-negotiables to using constraints to eliminate constraints, I'll show you how easy it can be to shift your mindset and approach time in a way that empowers you to live more intentionally. Join me as I explore how to bend time to our will and make the most of each moment.Here's to another day if living intentionally.CaitlinInterested in joining the EB Teachers' Club with thousands of other middle school ELA teachers from around the globe? Join the waitlist today, and you'll be the first to know when we open enrollment again! https://www.ebteacher.com/ebtc-waitlist

Feb 6, 2024 • 38min
Episode 270: Science of Reading - Building Reading Comprehension at the Middle School Level
I’d love to hear from you! Send me a text!On this episode of the Teaching Middle School ELA podcast, Caitlin and Jessica welcome Patricia Abel, EB Academics' curriculum writer, and veteran ELA teacher, to discuss building reading comprehension with our middle school students. Reading comprehension is a large part of the Science of Reading that directly relates to your middle school classroom, and we are making sure you have practical strategies to easily implement inside your classroom. Tune in as they spend time breaking it all down in this episode!Are you enjoying the podcast?Make sure to subscribe to our channel and leave us a review! To leave a review in iTunes, click HERE by scrolling down our show page, selecting a star rating, and tapping “Write a review.” Let us know how this podcast is helping you in your ELA classroom!